Your Relationship Needs All 5 of These to Survive
5 Keys to Long-Term Relationship Success
So, what I’m going to do for you in this article is share the five most important things when it comes to maintaining a long-term relationship.
And what you’ll tend to find, is that if ANY one of these five things are missing or weak in a relationship, it’s not a question of if the relationship will end — it’s a question of when.
So let’s dive in.
#1 Sex
My guess is that every guy reading this article right now is probably nodding his head in agreement.
Because let’s be honest — sex is super important.
And it ain’t just about busting a nut. When you have sex, your brain releases feel-good chemicals. You’re actually bonding.
You could say sex literally brings you closer together.
But here’s the problem, especially in long-term relationships:
Sex drives can change. And that can cause some big issues.
For example, let’s say you’ve got a couple who met in their 20s. Back then they were at it like rabbits. A big reason for that was they had very little responsibility and almost no stress in their lives, so they could actually make time for each other.
Fast forward 10, 15, or 20 years… now they’ve got kids.
The guy is working super long hours in a stressful job, and she’s working part-time while also dealing with the stress of being a mom — which, let’s be honest, isn’t easy.
In this situation, the solution might be that they need to start making more time for each other.
Which I’ll be talking about in the next point.
But before I do that, it’s also worth mentioning that lifestyle issues can kill your sex drive.
If you’re not taking care of your physical and mental health, sex might not even be a priority.
For example if you’re super stressed from work, you come home and all you want to do is chill out and relax — sex is the last thing on your mind.
Age plays a role as well. A man’s testosterone levels naturally drop over time, so if you’re not lifting weights, eating the right foods, sleeping properly, and looking after yourself, your sex drive can take a serious hit.
And If you’re someone who wants to learn more about increasing your sex drive, I’ve got a full article on that. You can check that out, by clicking this link here.
#2 Face Time (Spending Time Together)
When I’m talking about face time, I’m not talking about getting out your phone and jumping on a video call.
I’m talking about real alone time—just you and her.
So no kids, no friends, no other family members, no work, no screens… just the two of you.
Think date nights and simply hanging out together.
It’s kind of like dating again, like you were teenagers.
So picture going out for a meal where it’s just the two of you.
Another example might be, putting on your hiking boots and heading out for a walk somewhere.
It doesn’t have to be expensive.
A lot of couples neglect this stuff. Sometimes it’s because responsibilities take over and sometimes it’s just pure complacency.
Some couples because they’ve been together so long, think that they don’t need to do these things (date-nights) anymore.
But the analogy I like to use is this:
To keep a fire going, you have to constantly tend to it.
A relationship is no different.
You simply have to make time for each other. Both of you need to carve out moments in your schedules where it’s just the two of you alone.
That way you can actually bond and connect. And this leads me perfectly onto the next point.
#3 Communication
This really continues on from FaceTime. You could say that sex and good communication are the glue that holds people together.
It’s about open and honest communication.
What you’ll tend to find with a lot of couples is that their conversations stay quite shallow.
They’re not as deep as they need to be.
Now, this isn’t me saying you need to be Mr. Serious all the time, never have a laugh, and never let go — of course not. You have to do those things too.
But there are moments when serious conversations need to happen.
For example, let’s say you’re self-made, financially well off, and you’ve built everything by yourself. You meet a girl, things get serious, and she starts talking about marriage.
You might need to bring up a prenup.
It’s not the most romantic conversation in the world — she’s probably going to be a little pissed off — but it’s one you might need to have.
It’s about being open and honest.
If that’s what gives you security and peace of mind moving forward in the relationship, then that conversation needs to happen.
Another example:
Let’s say you met a girl who was super fit and athletic when you first got together. After a while though she gets comfortable, puts on a bit of weight, and stops exercising.
It starts to bother you, but you don’t say anything because you don’t want to hurt her feelings.
What ends up happening? You start resenting her.
That resentment could have easily been nipped in the bud if you’d had an open and honest conversation with her and told her how you actually feel.
She isn’t a mind reader.
Obviously, with conversations like this you have to approach it with tact and grace — it’s not about attacking her.
You still need to be considerate of her feelings. But you get the point.
Bad communication or a lack of communication — can often cause big problems further down the line.
It’s something to be mindful of.
#4 Trust
I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me when I say this:
Once trust is gone, it can be difficult sometimes impossible — to fully rebuild it.
An analogy that I like to use is that once trust is gone, it's kind of like trying to pour concrete under a sinking house.
Good luck with that. We’re talking foundations here.
Even with one-night stands and friends with benefits arrangements, if there’s no trust, there is no comfort — and without comfort, there is no sex.
It’s as simple as that.
And let’s go back to long-term relationships. Even with open and honest communication, you have to trust the other person first — and she has to trust you too.
Do you see what I mean?
If there is no trust, there is no relationship.
#5 Respect
I'm just going be straight up with you:
Don't deal with women who disrespect you.
Make that a non-negotiable rule.
Because once disrespect starts creeping into a relationship, it often escalates—they've learned early on that they can essentially get away with it.
I'd actually argue that it's way, way better to be respected than it is to be loved.